Captain Virat Kohli: ‘We didn’t have a chance’

Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes launched a six-hitting feast as England chased down 337 against India in a series-levelling win in the second one-day international on Friday with home skipper Virat Kohli admitting: “We didn’t have a chance.”

Bairstow (124) and Stokes (99) put on 175 for the second wicket and smashed 17 sixes between them as England romped home in 43.3 overs with six wickets to spare in Pune, AFP reported.

The three-match series is now level at 1-1 with the decider on Sunday, AFP reported.

“It was some of the most amazing batting you’ll see when chasing,” India skipper Virat Kohli said of the England onslaught.

“They totally blew us away during that partnership of Jonny and Ben Stokes. We didn’t even have a chance during that partnership.”

The left-handed Stokes, who hit 10 sixes in his 52-ball blitz, missed out on his hundred after being caught behind off Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bairstow fell to Prasidh Krishna, who also bowled stand-in-skipper Jos Buttler for a duck.

England lost three wickets for three runs, but Dawid Malan (16) and debutant Liam Livingstone (27) took the team home with an unbroken stand of 50.

It was England’s fifth-highest ODI chase and their best against India.

Bairstow, who was named man of the match, led the charge, tearing into the Indian attack with a 110-run opening stand with Jason Roy, who made 55.

Roy was run out for 55 in a mix up with Bairstow, who then combined with Stokes to trump K.L. Rahul’s 108 that helped India to 336-6 in 50 overs after being put in to bat first.